Chain of Being can be described with the single word "rock." The Eugene-based band eschews punk's savage efficiency, saving space for sprawling solos, and it replaces metal's growling menace with vocal vulnerability. "Modern" is an optional modifier, as COB doesn't exactly sound like Chuck Berry (though it references rock's kick-starter on its website.) But "modern rock" conjures images of Matchbox 20 and other acts that bear the stigma of sterility. COB's fire-obsessed lyrics hint at metaphorical pyromania, but its searing riffs and slow-burn singing style generate genuine heat.”

- AM from the Portland Mercury